Lu Fang understood and nodded, saying, "Your Majesty, shall we take a look first...?"
Although Jiajing saw through everything, he deeply felt that he had been negligent for decades, which had led to an irreversible situation. Now, Yan Song had resorted to such a wicked and wicked tactic, forcing outsiders to invade, and he had no way to deal with it. He couldn't help but sigh,
"Yes, we can only watch for now... What else can we do? If I respond, these people will become even more rampant... The Grand Secretariat governs on behalf of Heaven. When something happens, they push it back to me. Is there any reason in the world for this? Tell the people below, no one is allowed to make a sound..."
"Your slave understands."
...
At the same time,
Jiangnan, Qiantang.
Luo Longwen and Yan Maoqing hosted a banquet in a salt merchant's compound for the remaining party members from the four provinces, as well as silk merchants like Xu Yang, and also some salt merchants, medicine merchants, and porcelain merchants, all of whom had long relied on the Yan family to get rich.
This was the first and only time in a year that these people finally met the Yan family's big shots. At that moment, they all cried and complained about the evils of the reform.
Luo Longwen had always been the strategist and rarely spoke. Yan Maoqing, however, had been the Salt Commissioner and was already familiar with these people. At this moment, he said,
"Everyone, the old master is thinking of you, which is why he sent us down... You've poured out your troubles, had your drinks, and now it's time to talk about some serious matters... Brother Hanzhang, my mind isn't good, would you say it?"
Luo Longwen smiled and said, "Jingqing, I am just a humble artisan. How can I be worthy of such a gathering? I have no official position or rank, and I cannot speak with these lords. Anyway, these are the words of the old master, so I will just say them as they are..."
Mm-hmm,
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Yan Maoqing continued,
"Alright then! I will convey the words of the old master and the Grand Secretary. Listen first... Uh, do you understand the current situation?"
Among the guests present, the highest officials were two Censors from the Provincial Governor's Yamen. There were also three to five Prefects. Although these people could feel the abnormality of the current situation, they could not figure out the inside story. For a moment, everyone was eagerly looking at the two.
Yan Maoqing smiled and said,
"It's not your fault... This matter was planned by the Grand Secretary, and the old master personally deployed it! The purpose, broadly speaking, is to defend the way of the sages. In a smaller sense, it is also for you... Uh, to put it briefly, don't guess wildly, just do what the Grand Secretary has instructed.
The first is to continue to make trouble with Zhu Mo! What kind of trouble? Trouble about the employment system! Say that Zhu Mo wants to exterminate all merchants! The Grand Secretary said to make a big fuss! Don't be afraid!
The second matter is also very important, which is to ask you to interact with the gentry and make it clear that the common people are rising up! Let them keep a sharper eye! Speak clearly, and keep a close watch on the tenants and hired workers who follow the gentry!"
Although this speech was somewhat meaningful, it was still vague, and many people could not understand it for a moment. Someone asked, "Your Excellency Yan, we understand the meaning, but we are not sure what to say and what not to say..."
Luo Longwen laughed and said,
"Since that's the case, let me speak on behalf of Your Excellency Yan... You can say all of this, but the key is to say that Zhu Mo is rebelling! What is the purpose of all the trouble he has caused? Isn't it to become emperor... Don't you agree?"
Mm-hmm,
"Yes, yes!"
"That's right."
"Zhu Mo must be thinking this way."
"The Grand Secretary is wise!"
"Lord Luo is indeed a strategist!"
"We finally understand..."
"..."
Xu Yang was the leader this time. Before the two arrived, he had led people to cause trouble for several days, but Zhu Mo ignored them, so they dispersed. At this moment, seeing that the two had spoken clearly, he immediately said happily,
"Your Excellencies, to be honest, many merchants are very dissatisfied... A few days ago, I led more than two hundred people to cause trouble at the Ciren Shrine, but Zhu Mo and Zhang Juzheng ignored us... It seems we haven't hit the mark yet... If we had hit the mark, we wouldn't have had to pay our wages! We lost a large sum of money for nothing..."
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Mm-hmm,
Luo Longwen said,
"You naturally won't hit the mark, so you should say that he is against all merchants! Although I, Luo, have not studied for many years, I know some things. Since ancient times, there have not been as many merchants as in the Great Ming Dynasty. Last time, he raised more than ten million taels and became addicted long ago! Now, Korea, Japan, Myanmar, and Annan are all in turmoil, and doesn't he need money urgently? Do you still not understand this?"
Oh...
So that's how it is!
"This Zhu Mo is indeed utterly wicked!"
"This is truly to stuff dog holes with our money..."
"No wonder so many indentured servants were released, they were meant to force us to death..."
"Fortunately, Lord Luo reminded us, otherwise we would still be in the dark!"
"If he doesn't let us live, we won't let him die well!"
"Let's fight!"
"Yes! Let's fight!"
"..."
As they spoke, these people who had been getting rich by relying on the Yan family felt the approaching crisis and became agitated.
Luo Longwen and Yan Maoqing exchanged smiles, feeling that half of the matter was settled.
...
At the same time,
Yan Residence.
Without Luo Longwen and Yan Maoqing, and with several retainers sent to do errands, the atmosphere was somewhat desolate.
This evening, Gao Hanwen and Zhao Wenhua had just entered the door when they saw Yan Shifan outside the door, supporting Yuan Wei and Guo Pu, who had been dismissed from their posts, and they had all come.
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Upon entering the door,
Old Yan Song was overjoyed to see Yuan Wei and Guo Pu, saying, "Yuanfeng, Zhifu, what rare guests! How fortunate I am..."
The two stepped forward to support Yan Song.
Yuan Wei smiled and said, "Now that we are idle at home, we often miss the Grand Secretary, so we came. We don't consider ourselves outsiders... Haha..."
Hahahaha,
Everyone laughed together.
Yan Song knew that they were resentful after being dismissed. Seeing that the new round of offensive had begun and he felt confident of victory, they came to his door, hoping to make a comeback... Moreover, Yuan Wei had been beaten by the court staff, which was a great humiliation. He believed it was Xu Jie's scheming, and naturally, he would not let it go.
However, he sighed and said, "The vicissitudes of life are unpredictable... Inadvertently, the Great Ming Dynasty is in internal and external trouble. I am incompetent, and although I am the Grand Secretary of the Grand Secretariat, I am at a loss... Fortunately, you two have come to support me, and I am truly grateful..."
The two bowed together and said, "Everything follows the Grand Secretary's lead."
Good!
Good!
Yan Song thought that with these two fully on his side, his chances of winning had increased again, and he was overjoyed. He pointed at Yan Shifan and said, "Shifan, you continue to chat, there are no outsiders!"
"Yes, Father."
Yan Shifan had actually discussed with the two before. These past two days, with Luo Longwen absent, there weren't many ideas, so he took the opportunity to ask them for advice. Thus, he said,
"Wenhua, Moqing, we discussed yesterday how the Great Ming Dynasty should deal with it if Korea, Ryukyu, Japan, Le Dynasty, and Burma all attacked together. Please discuss it again."